Some known vehicle consists include several propulsion-generating vehicles that generate tractive effort for propelling the vehicle consists along a route. For example, trains may have several locomotives coupled with each other that propel the train along a track. The locomotives may communicate with each other in order to coordinate the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts provided by the locomotives. As one example, locomotives may be provided in a distributed power (DP) arrangement with one locomotive designated as a lead locomotive and other locomotives designated as remote locomotives. The lead locomotive may direct the tractive and braking efforts provided by the remote locomotives during a trip of the consist.
A distributed power train includes multiple motive groups distributed over a length of the train. For example, a distributed power train may include a lead locomotive, an intermediate locomotive separated from the lead locomotive by one or more non-powered train cars, and a rear locomotive separated from the intermediate locomotive by one or more non-powered train cars. In general, the trailing locomotives are remote vehicles that may be controlled (for example, tractive and braking efforts) from the lead locomotive. As such, a distributed power train generally includes multiple locomotive groups, each of which may include a single locomotive or multiple locomotives forming a consist, all of which may be controlled from a lead locomotive group.
Some known consists use wireless communication between the locomotives for coordinating the tractive and/or braking efforts. For example, a lead locomotive can issue commands to the remote locomotives. The remote locomotives receive the commands and implement the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts directed by the commands.
Before the remote vehicles will operate according to command messages received from a lead locomotive, however, communication links between the lead locomotive and the remote locomotive may need to be established. A communication “handshake” between the lead and remote locomotives may need to occur so that the remote locomotives can identify the lead locomotive, the lead locomotive can identify the remote locomotives, and the remote locomotives can determine that forthcoming command messages are received from the lead locomotive and not from another locomotive. In order to establish the communication links used to remotely control the remote locomotives from the lead locomotive, some known systems require an operator to go onboard each of the remote locomotives, manually input information about the lead locomotive and/or remote locomotives, and initiate communication of one or more wireless messages from the remote locomotives to the lead locomotive. In some vehicle consists having many remote locomotives, requiring an operator to enter onboard and manually enter this type of information onboard each remote locomotive can be very time-consuming and susceptible to human errors in entering the correct information. As a result, considerable time and effort may be expended in establishing communication links between the lead and remote locomotives in a vehicle consist.
The remote locomotive group(s) of a distributed power train system may be oriented with respect to the same or an opposite direction from the lead group. That is, while the lead locomotive may face forward toward a direction of travel, one or more of the remote locomotive groups(s) may face rearward away from the direction of travel. In order to link the separate locomotive groups together, the direction of the remote locomotive group(s) relative to the lead locomotive group is determined so that control of all of the locomotives may be coordinated. The lead and remote locomotive groups typically communicate via radio messages.
In a typical distributed power train system, an individual physically inspects and visually confirms the orientation of the remote powered locomotive(s) relative to the lead locomotive. After determining the orientation of the remote powered locomotive(s), the individual manually inputs the orientation data into a control system. As can be appreciated, the process of individually inspecting the powered locomotives and manually entering orientation data is time and labor intensive, and may be susceptible to error.